SIZE: Satellite Image Zooming and Exploration

Abstract

The VAST Challenge 2017 presents the case of the ornithologist Mitch, who wants to understand the vanishing of the Rose-crested Blue Pipit in the Boonsong Lekagul Nature preserve. To help the ornithologist to answer the challenge questions, we propose the Satellite Image Zooming and Exploration (SIZE) application that implements a framework to interactively zoom and explore satellite images of the preserve area provided by the VAST Mini Challenge 3. SIZE enables the experts to generate hypothesis through zooming and exploration, which he can further verify using different satellite images and Tableau. Two major hypothesis to help Mitch solving the poor development of the bird species are developed. One being the destruction of the habitat of the birds and the other being a heavy pollution of a lake in the preserve area.